London Mayor Boris Johnson urged the government to reconsider its plans to cut police numbers, saying the argument had been “substantially weakened” by the riots.

GMP’s ACC Garry Shewan said he had seen “the most sickening scenes” of his career, and said the force had been overwhelmed.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning he said GMP was “absolutely intent” on bringing the rioters to justice and officers were already studying CCTV.

“Hundreds and hundreds of people, we have your image, we have your face, we have your acts of wanton criminality on film. We are coming for you, from today and no matter how long it takes, we will arrest those people responsible,” he said.

Some 113 people have been arrested so far over the trouble in Manchester and Salford, where hundreds of youths looted shops and set fire to cars and buildings.

Three dead

In the West Midlands, 109 have been arrested and 23 charged following scenes of disorder in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich – where vehicles were set on fire.

Meanwhile, West Midlands Police have started a murder inquiry after the deaths of the three pedestrians hit by a car.

In Birmingham, riot police surrounded the Mailbox, the city’s upmarket shopping centre, following the disturbances seen in the area on Monday night.